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Bootpathguy Member
Joined: 18 Jun 2015 Posts: 1790 | TRs | Pics Location: United States |
Redmond man shoots and kills a study cougar.
I bet this is so frustrating for the WDFW biologist. Studying this young male and it's sibling since it was a cub.
Was studying his mother until it was shot.
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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RumiDude Marmota olympus
Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 3590 | TRs | Pics Location: Port Angeles |
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RumiDude
Marmota olympus
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Sun Feb 26, 2017 1:08 pm
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Here's the real tragedy: "King County District Court records show Wentz was charged with interfering with fishing or hunting gear, a gross misdemeanor, in August 2016. He pleaded guilty in December, was fined $1,300 and sentenced to probation and two days on a community work crew."
That is way too lenient of a sentence for this.
Rumi
"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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Backpacker Joe Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics Location: Cle Elum |
RumiDude wrote: | That is way too lenient of a sentence for this.
Rumi |
ALL the laws Ive ever heard of that deal with wildlife crime ARE TO SOFT!!!
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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Malachai Constant Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
Wow, what a manly man.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Just_Some_Hiker Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2013 Posts: 691 | TRs | Pics Location: Snoqualmie, WA |
Hunting for "sport" is lame enough, but this is beyond pathetic.
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Mikey Member
Joined: 04 Sep 2003 Posts: 737 | TRs | Pics Location: SW Washington |
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Mikey
Member
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Sun Feb 26, 2017 6:35 pm
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Possibly Ronald Dean Wentz did not receive a stiffer penalty for illegally killing the cougar inside the WDFW live trap because he had no previous hunting convictions.
In Feb 2016 Ronald Dean Wentz illegally killed a young male cougar which was inside a WDFW live trap. King County District Court records show Wentz was charged with interfering with fishing or hunting gear, a gross misdemeanor, in August 2016. Wentz pleaded guilty in December 2016, was fined $1,300 and sentenced to probation and two days on a community work crew. Probably the Washington State Revised Code of Washington (RCW) needs to be revised to make such an offense a felony.
Below is the Revised Code of Washington showing hunting privileges can be suspended for 10 years.
RCW 77.15.410 Unlawful hunting of big game—Penalty
(b) Unlawful hunting of big game in the first degree is a class C felony. Upon conviction, the department shall revoke all of the person's hunting licenses or tags and order the person's hunting privileges suspended for 10 years.
Cody Young of McCleary Washington plead not guilty to a felony illegal big game hunting charge. Cody Young was accused of obtaining a cougar hunting permit hours after he killed a cougar with an arrow in Lewis County in September 2016. Young faces a felony charge because he has a 2012 conviction for killing an elk without a proper license. In addition to prison time, if convicted, Cody Young could lose hunting privileges for 10 years.
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moonspots Happy Curmudgeon
Joined: 03 Feb 2007 Posts: 2456 | TRs | Pics Location: North Dakota |
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moonspots
Happy Curmudgeon
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Sun Feb 26, 2017 7:22 pm
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Malachai Constant wrote: | Wow, what a manly man. |
Yup, he must be quite proud of himself....what a chump!
"Out, OUT you demons of Stupidity"! - St Dogbert, patron Saint of Technology
"Out, OUT you demons of Stupidity"! - St Dogbert, patron Saint of Technology
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Ski ><((((°>
Joined: 28 May 2005 Posts: 12832 | TRs | Pics Location: tacoma |
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Ski
><((((°>
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Sun Feb 26, 2017 11:54 pm
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Dave Workman, in another thread several years ago wrote: | Some people are world class stupid and you can't fix that. |
"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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NacMacFeegle Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2014 Posts: 2653 | TRs | Pics Location: United States |
What a moral-less and cowardly individual this jerk must be. Wildlife crime penalties need to be strengthened significantly, his sentence was no better than a slap on the wrist.
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DigitalJanitor Dirt hippie
Joined: 20 May 2012 Posts: 792 | TRs | Pics
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Good grief.... he should at minimum have his license to hunt in this state pulled FOREVER IMO.
And personally I'd like to see his ability to legally own a firearm rescinded as well, since he obviously can't use one in a most basic safe and ethical manner, although I know that would make some folks froth at the mouth.
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Humptulips Member
Joined: 08 Nov 2012 Posts: 234 | TRs | Pics
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Bootpathguy wrote: | Why report the kill at all!?
I'm sure Wentz wanted it as a trophy
Is it that a taxidermist is required to report some, or all harvested animals to WDFW? |
A cougar hide has to be sealed by the Department within 10 days of harvest. Without the seal it is impossible to get it tanned or anything else done with it. The Department keeps a pretty close eye on Taxidermists and if they were to catch one with something like this off the books they would lose their license and be out of business. No Taxidermist or tannery will take that risk. If shipped out of State it becomes much more serious and the USFWS keeps an eye on tanneries. Couple years ago there was big brouhaha in a tannery in ID over bad paperwork on some seals.
The only thing unusual about this case is that the guy got caught. Trappers get stuff stolen out of traps often but the thieves are almost never caught.
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Ringangleclaw Member
Joined: 01 Sep 2010 Posts: 1559 | TRs | Pics
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Mikey wrote: | Possibly Ronald Dean Wentz did not receive a stiffer penalty for illegally killing the cougar inside the WDFW live trap because he had no previous hunting convictions.
In Feb 2016 Ronald Dean Wentz illegally killed a young male cougar which was inside a WDFW live trap. King County District Court records show Wentz was charged with interfering with fishing or hunting gear, a gross misdemeanor, in August 2016. Wentz pleaded guilty in December 2016, was fined $1,300 and sentenced to probation and two days on a community work crew. Probably the Washington State Revised Code of Washington (RCW) needs to be revised to make such an offense a felony.
Below is the Revised Code of Washington showing hunting privileges can be suspended for 10 years.
RCW 77.15.410 Unlawful hunting of big game—Penalty
(b) Unlawful hunting of big game in the first degree is a class C felony. Upon conviction, the department shall revoke all of the person's hunting licenses or tags and order the person's hunting privileges suspended for 10 years.
Cody Young of McCleary Washington plead not guilty to a felony illegal big game hunting charge. Cody Young was accused of obtaining a cougar hunting permit hours after he killed a cougar with an arrow in Lewis County in September 2016. Young faces a felony charge because he has a 2012 conviction for killing an elk without a proper license. In addition to prison time, if convicted, Cody Young could lose hunting privileges for 10 years. |
And while the individuals can get their hunting rights back after ten years, I think they will effectively lose their gun rights for life unless they can con a judge into a felony expungement
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drm Member
Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 1376 | TRs | Pics Location: The Dalles, OR |
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drm
Member
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Wed Mar 08, 2017 5:43 pm
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As bad or worse: poachers breaking into a locked zoo in Paris, France to kill a white rhino (4 year old Vince) and take it's horn, worth tens of thousands of dollars.
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